Explosive projectile



(No Model.) 7

- V 0. OTIS.

EXPLOSIVE PROJEGTILE.

No. 356,396. Patented-Jan. 18, 1887.

m 3 MY 1 N W w Y MB/ 8 WITWESES lUNTTnn STATES ATENT Ostrich,

CHARLES G. OTIS, OF BROOKLYN, NEYV YORK.

EXPLOSIVE PROJECTILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,396, dated Janpary 18, 1887. Application tiled September 10, 1886. Serial No. 213,233, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. OTIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Explosive Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a novel explosive projectile which when fired will not explode prematurely from the shock imparted to it by the explosion of the charge in the gun or cannon from which said projectile is fired.

To such end my invention consists in the features and construction of devices hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a longitudinal section of my projectile. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same.

In the drawings, the letter A designates the outer shell or body of my projectile, in which is formed a chamber, B, filled with the explosive.

O is a tubular cap, closed at one end by a head, a, which fits closely over the tail end of the projectile. Before the projectile is inserted intothe gun this cap is passed over the tail end of the projectile, as shown in Fig. 1, and then the projectile, together with the cap, is so placed in the gun that the head a of the cap 0 rests against the charge.

As the chargein the gun or cannon explodes the cap 0 will be driven forward over the body of the projectile, thereby compressing the air between the head a and the tail end of the same, forming an elastic cushion behind the latter and imparting to it gradually and without shock the force developed by the explosion of the charge in the gun. By this method a projectile charged in the ordinary way with a high explosive may be fired from a gun or cannon without dangerof premature explosion from shock.

If the projectile is to be fired from a rifled cannon, the cap O is provided at its rear end with a flange, b, which will be expanded and driven into the ritle-grooves by the explosion of the charge behind the same, while the compressed air in the cap will impart a similar tendency to a similar flange, c, with which projectiles for rifled cannon are usually provided, so that both the cap and the projectile will be rotated together as they are fired from the gun, while at the same time the expanding flange on the projectile will form an air-tight joint between it and the cap 0.

As the projectile is caused to rcvolve on its own axis whenit is fired from a rifled cannon, it will be found necessary that the explosive charge contained in it be firmly secured in the chamber 13, so as to revolve with it and prevent the generation ol'heat by friction between the charge and the body of the projectile. This I accomplish by dividing up the chamber B by means of partitions or projections d; or when the explosive is contained in a canister, D, as shown in the drawings, I secure the canister firmly in the chamber B and divide up its interior by partitions or projections, as above indicated.

To insure a proper position for the projectile in the cannon, a narrow ring, 0, is secured around its forward end, tL-n'eby insuring the coincidence of the axes of the projectile and the bore of the cannon.

The head a of the cap 0 is made convex on its outer face, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the force of the exploding charge in the cannon will have a tendency to expand the rear end of the cap 0, press its walls closely against the sides of the bore, and assist it in forming an air and gas tightjoint between the rear end of the cap and the bore of the cannon.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the shell A, having at its rear extremity the expansible flange c, and containing the explosive charge, of the cap 0, arranged on the rear end of the shell and provided with the attached rear closinghead, a, convexed on its outer face, so that the force of the exploding charge in the cannon will expand the rear end of the cap, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination, with the shell A, containing the explosive charge, and having at its rear extremity the expansible flange 0, of the cap 0, arranged on the shell and having at its rear end the expansiblc flange b, and attached convex closing-head a, which is acted on by the exploding-charge in the cannon to expand flange b, and arranged on the rear of the shell, 10 the rear end of the cap, substantially as and I substantiallyas and forthe purposes described. for the purposes described. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 3. An explosive projectile consisting of a my hand and seal in the presence of two subshell, A, containing the explosive charge, and scribing Witnesses.

provided on its forward end with the ring 6, CHARLES G. OTIS. [L. 3.] and at its rear extremity with the expansible Witnesses:

flange c, and the cap 0, having the convex l W. HAUFF, rear closing-head, a, carrying the expansible OTTO HUFELAND. 

